Dice In The Darkness: Cthulhu Calls

Chapter 338: Alice’s Quest for Cooperation

While investigating the identity of "WatanabeRyuusei" proved to be relatively straightforward, all it took was tracing back to "WatanabeRyuusei’s" hometown to easily uncover information about the Worshipers of the Yellow Sect. After all, in their heyday, the Worshipers of the Yellow Sect had quite a notorious reputation.

So, Liu Xing had long prepared himself for the possibility of his true identity being exposed. However, considering the current situation, it seemed that the Deep Sea Gospel Society was merely a group offering devotion to the Deep One, unlike the Worshipers of the Yellow Sect, who had the ability to communicate with the Byakhee. Therefore, it was highly likely that the Deep Sea Gospel Society was unaware of the enmity between the Deep One and the Byakhee.

Otherwise, the Deep Sea Gospel Society would undoubtedly spare no effort to deal with Liu Xing, striving to defeat their enemies in the name of their "god."

Hence, Liu Xing calmly presented the familiar narrative from his past, "Oh, you’re talking about that matter? I admit that my father once established a secret cult called the Worshipers of the Yellow Sect and conducted some inhumane sacrificial rituals. However, my father is currently in prison, receiving the punishment he deserves. Though from the perspective of the victims, one could argue that his punishment is somewhat lenient."

"As for myself, I believe, Miss Alice, you must have discovered my background. In simple terms, I had no involvement in any of the Worshipers of the Yellow Sect’s activities. The reason is straightforward: I personally detested secret cults like the Worshipers of the Yellow Sect that used living beings in their sacrificial ceremonies. However, at that time, I was just a middle school student, incapable of any heroic actions. Thus, I had no choice but to turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to the Worshipers of the Yellow Sect’s deeds."

Liu Xing spoke while keeping a close watch on Alice. However, to Liu Xing’s frustration, he couldn’t glean any useful information from her expression. In fact, Alice maintained a consistently polite smile throughout.

This left Liu Xing somewhat disheartened, as he hadn’t expected Alice’s acting skills to surpass his own.

Nevertheless, this turn of events also led Liu Xing to adopt a more direct approach. He directly queried Alice, "By the way, Miss Alice, can you tell me why you’re investigating me now? Logically speaking, we had no prior connection before meeting in Fisher’s Village."

In response to Liu Xing’s question, Alice nodded and began to speak, "Indeed, we had no connection prior to this. However, after investigating the Morimoto Academy incident, I became quite curious. Ryuusei, your involvement in that incident was quite prominent. You seemed to be present at every crucial juncture. That’s why I became interested in delving into your past experiences. Yet, the more I dug, the more surprised I became by the extent of your background."

Alice’s explanation left Liu Xing with no choice but to smile wryly, as it was evident that she was dodging the main issue.

However, before Liu Xing could respond, Alice continued, "So, after investigating your background, Ryuusei, I formulated a hypothesis. Now, I hope you can provide me with a truthful answer. Did you, Ryuusei, know from the very beginning that there was a secret cult operating behind the scenes, and did you intend to take it down?"

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow, surprised by Alice’s straightforward inquiry. She did not beat around the bush but cut straight to the point.

Alice’s question, however, was quite pointed. In essence, she was asking Liu Xing if he had intentionally set out to confront the Deep Sea Gospel Society.

This question was practically a gift-wrapped invitation because Liu Xing was certain that Alice had already formed a hypothesis. She was merely seeking confirmation of her own suspicions.

Yet, this piqued Liu Xing’s curiosity even more. What exactly did Alice have in mind?

After contemplating for a moment, Liu Xing decided to employ a "half-truth" strategy to test Alice’s intentions. "Well, since it seems we may not easily leave Fisher’s Village, I’ll be frank with you and tell you what I’ve been up to. First, I need to ask, Alice, you should be familiar with the Yueshihao incident, correct?"

Alice nodded in acknowledgment and continued to observe Liu Xing in silence.

Liu Xing sighed deeply and began, "So, Alice, you must have seen the reports related to the Yueshihao incident. They mention that two Chinese men intervened to stop a secret cult’s Ritual Ceremony on Yueshihao, rescuing dozens of students who were about to become sacrifices. One of those students was me."

Alice raised an eyebrow, expressing her surprise, "I see. I didn’t realize that you, Ryuusei, were a victim of the Yueshihao incident. No wonder you played such a significant role in the Morimoto Academy incident."

Liu Xing chuckled, realizing that Alice had already formed an opinion of him.

Thinking about it, Liu Xing shook his head and said with a smile, "No, no, Alice, you’re oversimplifying things. I’m not a victim of the Yueshihao incident. In fact, I was the one who resolved the situation with the secret cult’s followers and sent out the distress signal. However, due to various reasons, I chose not to reveal myself and attributed all the credit to those two Chinese gentlemen."

"Is that true?" Alice asked with a hint of doubt in her eyes.

Liu Xing nodded and continued, "Since you seem somewhat skeptical, let me provide a detailed account. The Yueshihao incident unfolded like this: from the beginning, I had a gut feeling that something was amiss. Our class was scheduled for a graduation trip to the Cosmic Country."

"So, I began to be cautious, as unusual occurrences often hint at hidden dangers. Soon enough, I noticed a person with a peculiar appearance, someone with what you would call an Innsmouth Face. I believe, Miss Alice, you are familiar with what an Innsmouth Face represents, especially since your mentor hails from Miskatonic University. You must have encountered many individuals with Innsmouth Faces."

Alice nodded in agreement and earnestly replied, "Indeed, I am aware of Innsmouth Face. My mentor once cautioned me not to engage with individuals displaying an Innsmouth Face too extensively because those with Innsmouth Faces are likely to be..."

Alice’s voice trailed off as she gazed at Liu Xing, leaving the sentence unfinished.

Liu Xing understood Alice’s implication and continued, "To put it plainly, in the eyes of ordinary people, an Innsmouth Face is simply a result of genetic mutations, causing certain facial deformities or abnormalities in coastal residents. However, for those of us in the know, an Innsmouth Face signifies one thing—individuals of mixed blood between humans and the Deep One."

Liu Xing, as he mentioned the words "Deep One," carefully observed Alice’s expression. After all, the Deep Sea Gospel Society worshipped the Deep One, and Liu Xing believed that Alice’s reaction could reveal whether she was affiliated with the society.

However, once again, Liu Xing found himself disappointed, as Alice’s expression remained unchanged.

At this point, Liu Xing had nothing more to say. When he first met Alice, he had thought her acting skills were mediocre, but now it seemed that Alice could easily win an Oscar...

Just then, Liu Xing heard the sound of dice rolling. It was evident that KP Green Light was planning something.

However, Liu Xing had grown more accepting of the situation. Considering the current circumstances, even if Alice were truly a member of the Deep Sea Gospel Society, it wouldn’t make much of a difference. At this point, leaving Fisher’s Village was uncertain, but what was clear was that Alice had likely sent all the information she had gathered to the Deep Sea Gospel Society. Since Alice was practically laying her cards on the table, it indicated that she was confident, and there was little Liu Xing could do now.

However, if Alice wasn’t truly committed to the Deep Sea Gospel Society, revealing the information she possessed would mean she was seeking cooperation rather than causing trouble. Liu Xing was leaning towards the latter.

With these thoughts in mind, Liu Xing finally relaxed.

Alice, observing Liu Xing’s demeanor, also understood his thoughts.

"Ryuusei, have you heard of the Deep Sea Gospel Society?" Alice asked.

Liu Xing was momentarily surprised by Alice’s direct mention of the Deep Sea Gospel Society. However, since Alice had broached the subject, he decided not to conceal anything and simply nodded, saying with a smile, "Of course, I know about the Deep Sea Gospel Society. It’s the secret cult behind the Morimoto Academy. And Miss Alice, you happen to be the intelligence officer for the Deep Sea Gospel Society in the Kyoto region."

Upon hearing Liu Xing’s words, Alice’s expression changed, and she exclaimed in surprise, "What? You actually know about that?"

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow, not expecting such a strong reaction from Alice.

However, Alice quickly regained her composure and smiled, saying, "Yes, it’s true. I am currently affiliated with the Deep Sea Gospel Society, and I can be considered a mid-level operative. Most importantly, I have evidence that could potentially harm you, Ryuusei."

Upon hearing Alice’s words, Liu Xing instantly felt at ease. It seemed that Alice was not a member of the Deep Sea Gospel Society.

Liu Xing nodded and playfully replied, "Oh, I’m really scared now, Miss Alice. How will you deal with a helpless student like me?"

Alice also smiled and shook her head, saying, "Ryuusei, let’s not beat around the bush. You’ve probably already guessed that I’m not from the Deep Sea Gospel Society."

"In fact, before coming to Fisher’s Village, I suspected that you were not affiliated with the Deep Sea Gospel Society. After our conversation just now, I can confirm my suspicions. And I can boldly predict that you’ve come here to propose cooperation with me, right?" Liu Xing said with a grin.

Alice nodded and spoke earnestly, "Since Ryuusei, you’ve already guessed it, I’ll be straightforward with you. I do indeed want to cooperate with you because we share a common goal: to overthrow the Deep Sea Gospel Society."

Just as Liu Xing had suspected.

Liu Xing stroked his chin, intrigued, and said, "I’d love to hear more."

Alice, seeing Liu Xing’s interest, reached into her pocket and pulled out a pure gold badge. The emblem on it was the crest of Miskatonic University, but Liu Xing could tell that the badge had many scratches and signs of wear and tear, indicating that its owner had ventured into dangerous situations.

Alice gazed at the badge in her hand and began to explain, "This badge was awarded by Miskatonic University over twenty years ago to certain professors within the school in recognition of their contributions. Among them was my mentor, Professor Clark. About a year later, Miskatonic University organized an expedition led by professors specializing in the fields of occult studies, archaeology, and anthropology, along with a dozen doctoral students. The expedition aimed to explore several islands in the northern region of the Island Nation. Each of these islands was inhabited by a different tribe that had remained isolated for centuries but shared a common deity."

"Of course, my mentor was part of the expedition, and he had a particularly close relationship with one of the professors, Annie, who was an anthropologist. She was my mentor’s unrequited love, and at the time, he had decided to propose to her after completing the expedition."

Hearing this, Liu Xing could already foresee the direction of the story. Alice’s mentor must have perished during the expedition, considering that Miskatonic University’s expeditions were typically fraught with danger, especially when they involved the trifecta of death-inducing disciplines: occult studies, archaeology, and anthropology.

As expected, the story continued as Liu Xing had surmised. The expedition reached its destination and began various research activities. However, soon after, there was a student disappearance incident. Alice’s mentor took two students to investigate and discovered the existence of Deep One hybrids, whom the local tribe considered divine.

Subsequently, the experienced (and reckless) professors came to the unanimous conclusion that something was amiss, and they decided to leave the Small Island where they were conducting their research. The local tribe attacked them, resulting in multiple injuries among the expedition members. After paying a heavy price, the expedition finally evaded the pursuit of the local tribe and left the Small Island.

However, just as the expedition members were preparing to leave the Island Nation by plane, they were attacked by an unidentified group of criminals. In the end, only Alice’s mentor and three other students managed to escape...

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